Archive for the ‘Answers to Quizzes’ Category

About how many species of fish are in the Amazon River?
There are approximately 2,500 species of fish living in the Amazon River with more species being discovered every year. These fish include the infamous piranha, known for their razor-sharp teeth and appetite for flesh, and the arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, with a maximum length up to15 ft and weight up to 440 lbs.

The “Wedding of the Rivers” or “Meeting of Waters” is the confluence of which two rivers?
The “Wedding of the Rivers” or “Meeting of Waters” is the confluence between the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões. The Rio Negro is the dark, almost black colored river, and the Rio Solimões is a muddy, brown color. The rivers run side by side without mixing for approximately 3.7 miles, and is caused by the differences in speed, density, and temperature of the two rivers.

Until 1952, Devil’s Island, located off the coast of French Guiana, was used as:
Devil’s Island was used as a place of exile for over 80,000 French prisoners until it was closed in 1952. During this time, the penitentiary houses a variety of inmates, from thieves to murders to political prisoners.

The Amazon River Dolphin turns what color as it ages?
The Amazon River Dolphin, the largest of river dolphins, turns from gray to pink as it matures. There are many legends associated with the “pink dolphin” including the belief that the spirits of people who have drowned enter the bodies of these dolphins, and it is bad luck to kill one of them.